14.5 ounce baby girl with less than 20% chance of survival survives

Mother Ashley Zachmeyer had lost her hopes for having a baby after she was diagnosed
with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). However, to her utter surprise, one day she was
discovered she was pregnant.

What is even more astonishing is the story of her miracle baby Adalee. Ashley was in her 18 th
week of pregnancy when she was told that her baby girl was 3 weeks behind on growth. She
was then referred to a high-risk consultant.

Truly shocked and worried, Ashley’s worst nightmare was when her consultant told her that
there was less than 20% chance of survival for her baby. Upset and distressed wouldn’t
describe her emotions at such a difficult time. She felt that it really was too good to be true
to be pregnant after being diagnosed with PCOS.

During that time, there was less than 1cm of amniotic fluid left and Ashley’s second
consultant told her the dreaded news that there we the signs of a miscarriage. He told her
to return a couple of weeks later to check for a heartbeat. Ashley was shattered.

Days of screaming, crying and being in total despair passed as Ashley broke down. Baby
Adalee was growing but her amniotic fluid was fluctuating, higher and lower on alternate
days. Her consultant continued to advise her to prepare for the worst, but Ashley felt that
God wanted her to be a mother, so she tried to think positively.

Her worst fear was when she was told that she would more than likely miscarry within the
next 24 hours. However, Ashley was convinced that her baby was going to make it and she
accumulated strength inside her that she had never felt before. She continued to fight and
have faith, and she sure wasn’t let down.

By her 29 th week she was admitted into hospital for bed rest, Adalee was measuring 16
ounces. The next day, Adalee wasn’t moving, it was Ashley’s time to give birth.

It was on June 22, 2017, Adalee was born at 14.5 ounces and she was the size of a 22-week-
old baby. Some convinced that a baby less than one pound wouldn’t survive didn’t affect
Ashley’s hope, and she was confident that her daughter will survive. She stayed in the
incubator until she was three months old and survived. Although she developed something
called Retinopathy of Prematurity because of her reliance on respiratory support in the
early days, it was considered to be minor.

106 days after being in the NICU, beautiful baby Adalee was finally taken home. This is a
story of courage and strength from both a brave mother and a gorgeous fighting baby. We